Stop the USDA slaughter of America's wolves

Below is the earlier text of this petition. Since that time, the war on wolves has escalated. Many have been slaughtered, and both the US Forest Service and USDA's ironically named "Wildlife Services" have continued their ongoing disservice to our nation's wildlife by actively assisting this unconscionable war on America's native predators. Your support is needed to get USDA to end its support of wholesale wolf slaughter which has now been shown to be inconsistent with scientific findings, in addition to posing an ongoing threat to nontargeted wildlife and even pets.

"In Idaho, USDA federal agents and federal equipment, including aircraft, are being used to shoot down wolves deemed by the State of Idaho to be problematic. This slaughtering campaign has been underway for monthts now; when it began, nearly 200 wolves had already been killed this year in Idaho, which has a wolf population of roughly 1,000. Yet USDA Wildlife Services personnel in Idaho insist that federal personnel and equipment should be used to 'harvest' many more wolves because they are "harming the economy of the state.' (The state pays for the actual slaughtering 'service'). This is not a matter of wolves having hurt any person, it is largely a matter of wolves preying on game; which is a perfectly legitimate activity for wolves. There are scientifically and ethically valid means of keeping wolves away from livestock; one way is to ensure that there are enough wolves in the wild that they have mates, so that they don't stray into ranch areas in search of mates (often being attracted to dogs).

It is bad enough that America's wolves were taken off the Endangered Species list so that states can allow essentially unlimited wolf hunting. But some states demand that even more wolves be slaughtered, and that personnel hired, trained, and equipped by American taxpayers be used in pursuit of those states’ wolf extermination goals. According to an Idaho WS staff member, aerial hunting of wolves is 'more efficient' than hunting them in a sportsmanlike manner on the ground. This is a shockingly callous attitude towards an icon of American wildlife by those in a position of trust as caretakers of wildlife. It is unethical and inappropriate for a federal agency to serve as a hired wildlife extermination agency of any particular state, since that federal agency is supposed to serve the interests of all Americans and of American wildlife as well. USDA must halt the practice of hiring out our wildlife caretakers as mass wildlife exterminators."

Letter to

Secretary Tom VilsackUnited States Department of Agriculture

U.S. Senate

I just signed the following petition addressed to: United States Department of Agriculture.

----------------Stop the use of federal Wildlife Services agents as wildlife exterminators

According to USDA Wildlife Services of Idaho, plans are moving forward to use federal agents and federal equipment, including aircraft, to shoot down wolves deemed by the State of Idaho to be problematic. Nearly 200 wolves have already been killed this year in Idaho, which has a wolf population of roughly 1,000. Yet USDA Wildlife Services personnel in Idaho insist that federal personnel and equipment should be used to 'harvest' many more wolves because they are "harming the economy of the state.' (The state pays for the actual slaughtering 'service'). This is not a matter of wolves having hurt any person, it is largely a matter of wolves preying on game; which is a perfectly legitimate activity for wolves. There are scientifically and ethically valid means of keeping wolves away from livestock; one way is to ensure that there are enough wolves in the wild that they have mates, so that they don't stray into ranch areas in search of mates (often being attracted to dogs).

It is bad enough that America's wolves were taken off the Endangered Species list so that states can allow essentially unlimited wolf hunting. But some states demand that even more wolves be slaughtered, and that personnel hired, trained, and equipped by American taxpayers be used in pursuit of those states’ wolf extermination goals. According to an Idaho WS staff member, aerial hunting of wolves is 'more efficient' than hunting them in a sportsmanlike manner on the ground. This is a shockingly callous attitude towards an icon of American wildlife by those in a position of trust as caretakers of wildlife. It is unethical and inappropriate for a federal agency to serve as a hired wildlife extermination agency of any particular state, since that federal agency is supposed to serve the interests of all Americans and of American wildlife as well. The USDA must halt the practice of hiring out our wildlife caretakers as mass wildlife exterminators.